I just wanted to wish everyone a "Very Merry Christmas "

i have met some lovely people since joining this blogging thing, something I never thought I'd be doing, so it just goes to show

"you can teach old dogs new tricks"

Glad the little dress arrived Merrie, and more importantly, you liked it!!!

I am really enjoying my new job despite my first misgivings. I went into the shop where I used to work today and I didnt feel like I ought to have not left, so thats good.

We are going to my mums for xmas lunch, Lewis and Lisa are coming up on xmas morning for bacon sandwiches, yummy yummy.

I have had a bad cold for what feels like forever but it seems to have mostly gone now, lots of people have the sniffles right now, got a flu jab so hopefully wont catch that this year.

Guess this will be my last post of 2008, so see you all again next year....

XXXXX

So here we are at draw time and the winner is.......wait for it.....MERRIE !!!! well done it will wing its way to you as soon as you email me your address, send it to me at the address you have for me

As I said earlier, I have a new job. Started this past weekend on my own as the last girl had gone back home to Poland. I was a bit nervous but everything went OK. I had a holiday day to take so that was on Sunday. So as of this weekend I am settled in at the care home. I was sad leaving my old job, had a little cry when they gave me a lovely card and flowers. Then cried all the way home in the car. Had I done the right thing? etc etc, but Im sure i have.

We have had some snow and icy weather here, its really cold today too, its also my sons 26th birthday, I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was snowing then too, I worried Id not get to the hospital. The hospital cleaners were on strike then and there were no clean laundrey stuff, I got out of that hospital faster than lightning.

Have been back up to the hospital with Stewart for more treatment, we go again on Thursday and we have been taking the bus as the parking at the hospital is horrendous, just no spaces at all, and its so worrying in case you miss the appointment, its been giving me a headache, so , hence the bus. Now the bus drivers are striking for more money, there were no busses for 24hrs last Sat and will be none for 48hrs this Fri, but worst of all is they are working to rule so you wont know if your bus is running or not. We will go out and wait for it but may have to take the car and I would just have to sit in it, waiting for a space to come free, while Stewart goes for his appointment, not really ideal. Its giving me a headache just thinking about it.

My mum and stepdad are going on the Orient Express from Edinburgh on Friday, Its an evening outing with your supper on board. They were given it as a xmas gift from his children, they are excited. He has only yesterday broken his reading glasses, and now is in a mad rush to get a new pair in time, hes having an eye test as i write and hopes to have glasses by Thurs. Hed better have, or he wont be able to see the menu !!! They are staying overnight in Edinburgh too, im sure they will have a great time. I hope they remember to take the camera. I think I may text her to remind her.

Guess that the lot for now....later

Well, it's been a while since I've said anything and thats cause a lot

has been going on. Above is the latest photo I have of Lewis and his beloved, they look really good together.

I have a new job!!! It's a very weird feeling knowing I'm about to leave my job of 9yrs to go and do something completley different, but the time was right and I reckon the job must be right or I would never have applied for it. I start a week next Sat, and I am going to help at breakfast times at a care home nearby. I will work Sat and Sun giving breakfasts and then the tea trolly at 10am. I can say that although its a big move out of what i know, Im looking forward to it a lot.

My boss has given me a good reference and I have already done two lots of training and will go in on Wed to do a shift with someone who does the job at the moment.

More good news, Lisa, my sons beloved, has a fantastic new job. She starts on 1st Dec and will head up the HR dept at the "Press and Journal" the north easts biggest local paper. Good luck to her. Im sure she will enjoy this job very much.

We got snow today!! It was so cold out but it's now lying...yet!

On Mon we had a flat battery, first time in 9yrs i was late for my work, as I had to walk and was 3 mins late. We got a new on in the afternoon after Green Flag came and started the car. Thank goodness we have breakdown, id recommend them to anyone.

We were up at the hospital on Thurs for Stewart to get further treatment at the front part of his head, we go back next week then again in Dec and probably in Jan, and I think it will pretty much continue until they are happy they have zapped all of it.The nurses are so nice, cant praise them highly enough.

I have all my gifts wrapped and ready to post , will send them on Tues next week. Everything else that had to be bought has been and just the cards to do now.

Guess thats all....later

Good morning!! I have just returned from our weekend away and very welcome it was too.

I said I would have a giveaway when I got back, and here it is. Its a little dress complete with little twiggy hanger, little button and one bow. It is hand made by me and its made from calico and printed cotton in a teddy bear pattern. It measures 16 inches long.All you need to do is visit me and leave a comment. The draw will be on 9th Dec, my sons birthday , so plenty of time to enter. This giveaway was inspired by me winning a beautiful giveaway, hosted by Lisa at cranberryflats.
This next pic, though very dark, is a trail through the woods where we walk the dogs if it too windy to go to the beach. As it frequently is and I hate to see the dogs faces get covered in blown sand, so we go to the woods then.

We had a lovely weekend away in Perth, we took the bus through to Glasgow, it was chock full of people and I cant say I was much taken by it. Maybe just got the wrong impression of it, or figured it would be somehow different. We also went to a place called Paula, House of Farnell, its near Brechin and its tucked right out of the way but its so full of great things, like candles and xmas stuff and I had to buy some things, well couldnt go all that way and not get something. I did als finish most of my xmas shopping when we were away , just a couple of things and thats me done.

Here are those watches Ive been making. Not all of them are shown here as some are going to be gifts and I dont want anyone getting a sneak preview, and also I made and gave away 4 others that I forgot to photograph first.

Stewart has had his appointment for the last part of his treatment come through, Nov 20th \27th and then hopefully that will be it all over and done with.

We have had some snow here, last week in Oct, seems it was 30yrs since it was so early. Most mornings we have to scrape the car windows and when we were in Perth it was the hardest frost ive seen in ages. On the Sunday morning I was outside the hotel and looked up and saw a hot air balloon sailing along the river, it was so low I could see the people in the basket, and of course I didnt have the camera with me and by the time i got to my room and back down again it had moved way to far off for a good pic, typical !! I also saw another weird sight while in the car going between Alva and Dunblain , a LLama, yes I know what your thinking, but it was a LLama, all white and cosy looking munching away at trees, guess it must have escaped from someplace as its not something we normally have roaming about the countryside. I also saw a large herd or Deer and about a dozen or so Buzzards on our travels. So all in all a good time was had.

Guess thats all for now

This is a cross stitch I did a few years ago, it looked so much like my last rottie called Lucy. She was the best dog ive ever owned. Sadly had to have her put down due to a tumour in her leg.But while i was very sad about that, if I hadnt lost her I would never had the 2 dogs i have now.

Was up at the hospital on Fri for Stewarts dressing to be changed and its come on so well we got a new type of dressing, a sticky cling film thing, which I can do at home, so no more treks up there till he needs the light therapy.

Another member of staff at the shop where i work is leaving. I really liked her but her dad is moving into sheltered housing up in Elgin, 80mls north, so she is moving too. I hope we get someone nice to replace her.

Last week we laid tiles for my son and his girlfriend, on Wed we will do the same in the cloakroom. Lisas brother, George has moved in with them he seems really nice.

I ordered some stuffing online last week and when it came i got a shock, i must have not read the weight properly, the tiny package that came wouldnt stuff a small teddy bear !!So I went back online and paid attention this time, and next day a delivery man came lugging a huge box, that was more like it.

I have been making some more things and also made my own pattern for a halloween doll which turned out really nice. I have now finished the back of my sweater and am cracking on with the front, dont want winter to be over and not have it done. I also got some more wool so i can start another one right away.

Has anyone worked with that paper you can sew on then dissovle it? Ive gone and bought some as i wanted to make a spiders web but so far Im not sure just how to go about it so if anyone is reading this and knows what to do please share with me.

Later....x

Hello again. Lewis and Lisa moved into their house a week ago, due to a misunderstanding by me, we didnt go down to help them unpack, we sat patiently waiting at home for them to pitch up with the van so we could load it with stuff stored at our house. What should have happened was for us to meet them at the house, unload the van then up here to load up again. Oh well, things can go wrong sometimes. Thay have a really nice house and have set about adding their new furniture and are going to put down new wooden flooring. So all is well. Also, good news, Lewis had been taken on to the permanent staff at the place he was temping at for the past 3 mths. He is well "chuffed" as they say.

I have been very busy making things for my friends xmas. I have even made my own patterns for things and have been pleased at how they have turned out. All pics of these will go on show after xmas, otherwise it wouldnt be a surprise for her.

Just wanted everyone to know that my mum completed her 100th Munroe on her 70th birthday , she too is well "chuffed".

I have been on holiday from my work this week and been in the garden cutting down some of the shrubs, lots more to do but its pouring of rain today.

Went to the boot fair on Sunday, didnt get much, but got a brand new mitre saw for £6 a real bargain. Also got some free range eggs and lovely potatos.

This is a twig tree I made to use instead of a xmas tree, I now have it on my stairs with a lovely crow that I got as a gift.

Stewart is now going to the hospital to have the dressing changed just once a week , I know a big difference in the scarring, it's healing up so well, its amazing how good the surgeons are these days. Im hoping he will be able to go dressing free soon. Once its healed he will have PDT on the area to zap any left over rogue cells.

A lad in my street, Neil Fachie, is competing in the Para olympics, he's a sprinter, if you see him, cheer him on! He suffers from night blindness and is so bad with all the stadium lights, he's literally running blind.

Thats all for now,later...x

Hello again, here finally is the pic of the chair I painted and distressed. On it is a quilt I made and a bear I made too. Can't decide whether to do the other chair the same or not.

Today Lewis and Lisa moved house. They have bought a lovely house ,here they are at the front door , as you can see they look pretty happy.

I'm hoping someone can tell me where I'm going wrong as I cant get my pics where I want them or move them either, any help gratefully received.

Hoping to go to a car boot sale in 2 wks time. Not looking for anything in particular.

I have been busy making things, cant tell you what as they are for a surprise. You'll have to wait till after xmas to see.

Kate, if you red this, NO MORE BASKETS !!!

Later....X

Hello again, this is a tin house I got off Ebay, it was bigger than I thought so finding a space was hard, I had to jiggle things to fit it in. Below is Penny, sitting in the only bit where the sun was shining.

The schools went back yesterday and that meant the traffic was dire. Stewart had hospital appointment so we took the dogs to the woods rather than spend an hour sitting in traffic just to get to the beach. Finding a space to park at the hospital is like finding hen's teeth, on Fri I will sit on yellow lines at the clinic and wait for Stewart to be seen, if I'm moved on I'll drive round then sneak back.

I am finished Kates pressy, it looks really nice. I painted a chair but it wasnt going well, so I used a different paint on top and it took ok, then I sanded bits of it back to the base and wound twine round the bottom of the legs, Im pleased with it now, photo to come later.

Only 9 days till my son and his girlfriend move house. I think they'll be packing this week. I hope it doesnt rain that day.

rosie isn't limping anymore, must have been her leaping about at the beach that did it. Walking her on the lead for 3 days seems to have helped. Saw the swans and their babies this morning , they have 7 this year, and they are almost as big as the parents now.

Till later...X

Well, we have now nearly finished painting our kitchen, just got the cupboard doors to go over and were done. This is a pic of the right hand wall, the plates came with the blue rim and I stencilled the red hearts onto them.

The blue paint was left over from an old colour I'd used in the hall at one time but was too dark for the kitchen so I added white paint till I got the colour I liked. No point in buying a whole new tin of paint if I could mix up a suitable colour myself

This is a stichery I did, the words read like this....

The snow came last night

and the door is frozen tight,

the soup is in the pot,

the fire is cosy and hot,

a place is at the table,

so come in if you are able.

I have been watching the olympics and have just seen Nadal make it through to the final, hope he gets the gold.

I have bought a pattern to make a christmas pressy for my friend Kate, the material for it came today so I can now make a start, cant tell you what it is as that would ruin the surprise. I will take a pic of it when it's done.

Two weeks today and my son Lewis and his girlfriend Lisa move house. I think they are excited now, it will be here before they know it. It will be nice for them to have so much more living space. Also nice for Lisa to get her car parked off the road as she's had some damage done to it recently when it's been parked on the street by mindless thugs who have no concern for other peoples property but wouldn't like it done to their stuff.

That's all for now...later X

This is a Halloween Crow I made for my friend Kate. It's not a vey good pic of it. I also made her a witch on a moon, which I forgot to photograph, I will get her to do a pic for me and put it on her blog. Thats the trouble with me, i make things and give them to other people and forget to photograph them first. I have all I need now to make a Christmas gift for my friend, all I need to do is actually get on with it! later,,,X

Here is Penny trying to get into what little there is of the sunshine. This is the block of the month quilt I made at the class run by Lisa at Seattle Quilt Co.

We have been up at the hospital having my husbands dressing changed. Looks like its healing really well and we hav to only go once instead of twice next week.

Lewis and Lisa move from their flat in town to a nice house not far from us. They will be glad once its over as its been very stressful. What with the housing market doing nobody any favours. This house looks lovely hope to see it the day they move in.Plenty of room for them to get a dog ha ha!

Hers is my snowman collection on an old pine shelf unit, that I got a long time ago.

Havent done any crafts at all this past week, done some knitting though and I made a watch for a gift. I forgot a friends birthday what with all thats been going on with my husband I sent her an email card so I hope she understands, goonesss knows where all the time has gone lately here it is August already and the leaves are sadly falling off my big tree, way too early for my liking.

A friend of mine had to have her greyhound put down, he was very sick, it was his liver.They are all very upset, I sent her a poem that I had all about why its for the best to put them to sleep even though it breaks your heart to do it.

I have been invited to a "renewal of marriage vows" by a girl who used to work with me, its in October, so that should be very nice, never been to a ceremony like that before.

Thats all for now. X

Here I am again, what awful weather we have had, lots of sea fog. This pic is of my son Lewis and his girlfriend, Lisa, when he was best man at his friends wedding earlier this month. The other pic is of my table bought at a boot sale in the living room. The baskets also came from bootsales.





My mum and step dad came round today after being on holiday in North Wales. They went to Portmerion, where the 60's series, The Prisoner, was filmed.


I am still slogging away at my knitting but it's slow going. I had some new beads arrive they are blue and white chinese style ones and also ones like little fishes.


The top pic is of the first big quilt I made, not that you can see much of it as it's hidden by dogs.
It was a good quilt to make but took much more fabric than I thought it would. I have made a block of the month quilt but havent got a pic of it yet, it's in reds, greens and cream.I have now bought more fabric to make one in red, cream and blue.

The shop where I work has been bought over by another supermarket, so we are hoping that they will keep us open and we don't lose our jobs. I have worked there 9years now.

I have been looking through my patterns and hope to finish up a stitcherie I began ages ago. I am working on a cross stitch of a Stafforshire Bull terrier, it looks just like Penny did when we first got her, but it's more detailed than I thought it would be, lots of two colours together stitches., so it's taking it's time to do. I had put it away in fact as I was getting fed up of it and making mistakes, I will get it out and do some more soon.

I was hoping the local patchwork shop, Seattle Quilt Company, The owner is from Seattle, would be doing a class that I could go to, but none of them take my fancy this year. I saw a ragged jacket on show there and got a pattern and made one myself. Its hard work cutting all those seems so that they fray in the wash.

Thats all for now.

some new pics

Here I am again, I have managed to add some new pics. The quilts and large shelf unit above are on my stairway and the shelf is in my livingroom.

My son wasn't impressed that his mum has a blog, perhaps I expected too much of him!! My friend Kate came round with her handsom grandson Ellis, and his daft dog Millie. She told me she'd read my blog and given me my first comment, Yippee!

Here I am again a bit latter on, I think I know how everything works so here are my dogs, Penny and Rosie in the garden. Have bought wool and a new pattern and started a sweater, but Its actually been lovely outside so Ive been sitting outside and not knitting. have been making watches, so I will try to photograph them later on as well as my first big quilt.

First blog

Hello from Aberdeen Scotland. This is my first go so it may not be right. My friend Kate has a blog so I thought Id have a go, she has hers up and running with photos and stuff, as you can see Ive got a blank page so far. I will make an effort to add to this in the coming week.